Whether you are in a house that’s half a century old or one that barely has had time for the paint to dry, leaks in plumbing probably will spring up at one time or another. When they do, you can put uneasy feelings about whether you are dealing with a dime-a-dozen job or the mother of all repairs to rest by educating yourself about the most common residential leaks.
American Leak Detection, founded in 1974, is experienced in fixing residential leaks, as they have had over 30 years in business. Steven Nagel, owner of the Tampa, Florida branch, explains that pool leaks are one of the most familiar repair requests he gets from customers. The good news is that if you do happen to have a pool leak, statistically speaking, you’re far more likely to have a leak that is structural—only 10% of pool leaks are related to plumbing and need major repairs. The 90% of leaks that are structural usually require only minor fixes but result in major water savings.
Nagel reports that in houses, leaks are likely to be under a slab, in the walls, or in the yard. Slab leaks can be some of the most costly to fix if taking care of the leak means doing an entire repipe of the plumbing system, since the plumbing underneath slabs often is so closely tied into the housing foundation. If the problem involves only a simple repair, however, leak specialists such as those at American Leak Detection can use modern techniques and equipment to ensure that only a small portion of the slab is removed to minimize damage. Wall leaks can be problematic because they can cause mold to grow on wood and insulation, but most wall leaks can be accessed without too much trouble. Yard leaks occur in the outdoor hose fixtures and in sprinkler systems, so these should be checked periodically when you do your yard work.
The type of pipe used in a residential piping can affect whether a leak is likely to occur. “Plumbing leaks tend to be in copper pipes,” says Nagel. “Whether due to the age ([leaks in copper appear] usually in the 20- to 30-year range), lime from a cement block eating through the pipe, or general wear and tear, the most common plumbing leaks are pinhole size and found in copper pipes. CPVC (a type of piping) rarely leaks, but it is most commonly caused by pressure on the pipe fittings when it does.”
Some fixtures have parts that cause leaks when they malfunction. For example, toilets, faucets and appliances most commonly leak due to wear and tear on the rubber pieces used. These are incredibly simple fixes in most cases, and are inexpensive due to the fact that you don’t really need to replace any major parts such as the pipe or fixture itself.
Nothing is wrong with trying to fix one of these common leaks yourself if you know how. If you aren’t sure what to do, however, then the first step is to figure out where the water is coming from. If you can see the leak, then go ahead and call a plumber. If you know water is intruding from somewhere but just can’t seem to locate the leak, then call a leak detector instead. The leak detector can tell you where the problem is so that the plumber can fix it. Often one company may provide both plumbing and leak detection services, such as American Leak Detection does, so you might be able to simplify the repair work by using specialists from the same company.
